CHAPTER 2

Question 1

scientific method

Answer 1

a procedure for using empirical evidence to establish facts.

Question 2

theories

Answer 2

hypothetical explanations of natural phenomena.

Question 3

hypothesis

Answer 3

a falsifiable prediction made by a theory. The word falsifiable i

Question 4

empirical method

Answer 4

a set of rules and techniques for observation.

Question 5

operational definition

Answer 5

a description of a property in measurable term

Question 6

construct validity

Answer 6

the extent to which the experiment is testing what it is supposed to

Question 7

power

Answer 7

ability to detect differences or changes in the magnitude of a property,

Question 8

reliability

Answer 8

a detector’s ability to detect the absence of differences or changes in the magnitude of a property

Question 9

demand characteristics

Answer 9

those aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think someone else wants or expects.

Question 10

naturalistic observation

Answer 10

a technique for gathering scientific information by unobtrusively observing people in their natural environments.

Question 11

observer bias

Answer 11

the tendency for observers’ expectations to influence both what they believe they observed and what they actually observed.

Question 12

double-blind study

Answer 12

a study in which neither the researcher nor the participant knows how the participants are expected to behave

Question 13

population

Answer 13

a complete collection of people

Question 14

sample

Answer 14

a partial collection of people or animals or things drawn from a population.

Question 15

frequency distribution

Answer 15

a partial collection of people or animals or things drawn from a population.

Question 16

normal distribution

Answer 16

a mathematically defined distribution in which the frequency of measurements is highest in the middle and decreases symmetrically in both directions.

Question 17

Two Kinds of Descriptive Statistics

Answer 17

The most common descriptive statistics describe a frequency distribution’s central tendency (where do most of the measurements lie?) and variability (how much do the measurements differ from one another?).

Question 18

mode

Answer 18

value of the most frequently observed measurement)

Question 19

mean

Answer 19

average value of all the measurements

Question 20

median

Answer 20

value in the middle

Question 21

positively skewed distribution

Answer 21

graph has a higher point on the left

Question 22

range

Answer 22

the value of the largest measurement in a frequency distribution minus the value of the smallest measurement.

Question 23

standard deviation

Answer 23

how each of the measurements in a frequency distribution differs from the mean.

Question 24

variables

Answer 24

properties that can take on different values

Question 25

correaltion

Answer 25

variations in the value of one variable are synchronized with variations in the value of the other.

Question 26

correlation coefficient

Answer 26

a mathematical measure of both the direction and strength of a correlation,
-1 -> 1
perfect positive correlation = 1
no correlation= 0

Question 27

natural correlation

Answer 27

the correlations we observe in the world around you

Question 28

third variable problem

Answer 28

the natural correlation between two variables cannot be taken as evidence of a causal relationship between them because a third variable might be causing them both

Question 29

experimentation

Answer 29

a technique for establishing the causal relationship between variables.
manipulate the independent
measure the dependent variable
compare value of variables in different conditions

Question 30

manipulation

Answer 30

a technique for determining the causal power of a variable by actively changing its value

Question 31

self-selection

Answer 31

a problem that occurs when anything about a participant determines the participant’s condition;

Question 32

random assignment

Answer 32

a procedure that assigns participants to a condition by chance.

Question 33

internal validity

Answer 33

an attribute of an experiment that allows it to establish causal relationships.

Question 34

external validity

Answer 34

an attribute of an experiment in which variables have been operationally defined in a normal, typical, or realistic way

Question 35

case method

Answer 35

a procedure for gathering scientific information by studying a single individual.

Question 36

random sampling

Answer 36

a technique for selecting participants that ensures that every member of a population has an equal chance of being included in the sample.

Question 37

replication

Answer 37

n experiment that uses the same procedures as a previous experiment but with a new sample from the same population.

Question 38

type 1 error

Answer 38

hen researchers conclude that there is a relationship between two variables when in fact there is not

Question 39

type 2 error

Answer 39

when researchers conclude that there is not a relationship between two variables when in fact there is

Question 40

ethical code

Answer 40

informed consent
freedom from coercion
protection from harm
risk-benefit analysis
deception
debriefing
confidentiality

Question 41

informed consent

Answer 41

a verbal agreement to participate in a study made by an adult who has been informed of all the risks that participation may entail.